Fish and Sticks
by Dandelion-san
Summary: In which Tadashi is a dog and Hiro a cat who has abandonment issues. (Hidashi, AU) COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Fish and Sticks**

_**by, Dandelion-san**_

* * *

**(1/1)**

* * *

The feeling of alone is the the worst kind of feeling in the world. It digs deep into the soul and rips a heart apart. It is long nights of waiting for closed doors to open and learning not to trust. It is also wondering, _why_? Why don't they look at me? Why won't they love me? Why won't they come back?

Tadashi was digging through the trash when he heard it. A cry for help. A cry of alone. It was small and weak and pained.

There were mean sounds with it too, deep growls that were unfortunately familiar to his ears.

He paused, tilting his head. Then he abandoned his trash hunt to move down further into the dark labyrinths of the street, following the directions of the sounds.

He knew those growls. They were from Yama and his goons. They liked to bully smaller animals and Tadashi, still warm and concerned, tried to help as often as he could.

He turned a corner, seeing the sight of a large robust bulldog and three other skinny looking mutts circling around the front of a dumpster.

Old bitter Yama. Mean Yama. Yama who once was loved but he was alone now, like the rest of them. Only maybe it was worse for him because he was alone even when he was surrounded by his followers.

"Aw, come on out kiddo, we ain't gonna hurt ya," Yama was saying. His tone was dripping with mockery and his sidekicks laughed nastily.

There was another high pitched, frightened sound from whatever they were surrounding, and Tadashi had had enough. He stepped forward from the shadows, his hackles rising and his ears bent flat on his head.

"Yama, what a surprise," he said. "Meeting you here like this. Didn't I just see you here last week?"

The bulldog flinched at his voice and he whirled around. He snarled when he recognized Tadashi.

"You! What are you doin' here?!"

"I could ask you the same thing." Tadashi drew himself up to full height and snapped his jaw at the other four dogs in front of him. "I told you once and I'll tell you again. Beat it!"

Yama looked mutinous but he knew it wasn't a good idea to start a fight with Tadashi, considering how well liked he was in these areas. Not to mention that Tadashi was bigger, stronger, and despite being outnumbered, Tadashi was still smarter and could beat them all. With an angry huff, Yama and his cronies slinked past him.

Tadashi waited until they were out of sight before he turned his attention back to the dumpster, looking for whatever unfortunate soul that had caught Yama's attention. He blinked when he saw nobody there. Had the critter run away?

His sharp ears told him no. Curious, he bent down low to the ground and peeked underneath the dumpster.

Oh_._

He could barely see anything with how dark it was, but he could make out a pair large eyes, shining bright amber in the surrounding blackness. He could also see the tips of tiny pointy ears. There was a shuffling sound as the owner of those eyes tries to press themselves further back.

"Hey there, kitty," Tadashi said, soft and gentle. "I'm not gonna hurt you. Promise. Why don't you come out from there?"

There was a squeak. "Nuh-uh!"

Aww. Tadashi's heart melted. He laid down and shuffled back so he wasn't so close and intimidating. "Yama likes to be mean to everyone but he's not going to hurt you anymore." Tadashi wouldn't let him hurt anyone. Tadashi was alone, but he wasn't going to be like Yama who turned his loneliness into anger and bitterness.

There was a pause as the eyes seemed to contemplate something.

Then the smallest, fluffiest kitten that Tadashi had ever seen slowly crept out from underneath his hiding place.

"Try anything funny and I'll claw your eyes out!" the kitten threatened and Tadashi just stared.

His tail thumped on the ground.

He said, "You're so cute."

That proved to be a mistake because there was a shriek, a blur, and the next thing he knew, the kitten swiped a claw across his face. Tadashi reeled back with a yelp.

"I. AM. NOT. CUTE," the kitten screamed and Tadashi decided to keep him forever and ever.

* * *

"Where is your mom and dad?" Tadashi wondered, an hour into their acquaintance. They were walking down the smelly street. He didn't know where the kitten was going but Tadashi was following him. Already, he'd scared off several dogs and two toms.

The kitten was trouble, he realized. And he worried and worried.

The kitten's shoulders hunched. "Why won't you go away?" he snapped. It didn't matter how much the young cat had tried to evade the German shepherd. Tadashi found him every time.

"You're too little to be out by yourself," Tadashi said. "What if a bird flies off with you?"

The kitten paused. "I… I didn't think about that," he mumbled. He whirled around, fur rising. He opened his mouth to show off his little fangs. There was a small gap in the front of his teeth. "Okay, fine! I'll stay with you. But _only_ because I need a bodyguard. Nothing else!"

Tadashi resisted the urge to coo and he wagged his tail instead. "Alright," he said happily. "I'm Tadashi. What's your name? Do you have a name?"

"Of course I have a name!" The cat looked proud. "It's Hiro. It is a good name. I picked it myself!"

Wow. Tadashi was amazed. His parents had chosen his name when he was really young when they had picked him up from among his litter. _Tadashi_, they'd said. _Tadashi, Tadashi._ Mom always loved to drag the last syllable out, especially after he ripped up another pillow. _Tadashiii, bad dog!_

"Where is your mom, Hiro?"

Hiro arched his back and growled. "Where is _yours_?!" he retorted. At that, Tadashi remembered and he felt miserable again.

He visibly drooped. "Gone," he replied sadly. "I went on a walk with mom and dad and then something hurt them. Then they went inside a big box with loud sounds. I tried to follow them, but they went too far and I was too tired. So I went back home to wait for them but they never came back and then strangers came and kicked me out."

Hiro looked stunned. "Oh," he said. "Oh, you're talking about a car. A car hit them and an ambulance took them away. You – you used to be a pet."

The German shepherd tilted his head, wondering what a 'pet' was, but Hiro pressed himself to Tadashi's side and he didn't say anything in fear that he would scare him off. He didn't want to scare Hiro off.

Hiro was so small and so fierce. He was the size of Tadashi's paw and he was afraid that he would accidentally crush him, so Tadashi was being very careful. He didn't want Hiro to leave or be hurt. Tadashi loved him already, from the moment he saw him.

Hiro awkwardly rubbed his head against Tadashi's leg. "Mother didn't want me," he admitted, "because I was a runt." He looked up. "I waited too. I waited for her to come back but she never did."

Tadashi licked Hiro's head and snuggled close. "I will never leave you," he promised.

* * *

Hiro purred all the time after that. It was constant and Tadashi loved it, especially deep in the night with nightmares of running after mom and dad. But he'd wake up and there would be little Hiro, curled up on his neck, rumbling loudly for such a small thing.

And Tadashi knew he wasn't alone.

They lived together in a dusty abandoned building. Hiro had explained that it was once used as a storage facility for the university's robotic research. Hiro knew a lot of things. A lot of strange human things, but Tadashi didn't mind because he liked hearing about it.

Hiro was some sort of genius, Tadashi had come to find out.

Tadashi was smart too. He knew how to get food and which ones to avoid. He knew how to get along with others and how to plan, and how to protect.

It was nice, wandering around the streets with Hiro entwining around his legs or sitting on top of his head. Hiro talked about a lot of things from up on his head.

"Did you know that there is a human town with a _cat_ for a mayor? Do you think I could be mayor?" Hiro chattered on, trilling occasionally when a new thought popped into his head. "Cats are lactose intolerant, did you know that? Humans keep trying to give us milk, though. They're so silly. But they're most like cats! Our brains are ninety percent similar to a human's; that's so cool, right?!"

"Really cool. How 'bout dogs?" Tadashi asked, a little distracted. He was keeping a wary eye out, in case a hawk tried to swoop down to steal Hiro away from his head. He always worried about that, and he wasn't so sure he would be able to get Hiro back if he flew away. Dogs couldn't fly, after all.

"Canis lupis familiaris," Hiro said. "Dogs have 1,700 taste buds and they're easy to train." Hiro licked Tadashi's ears, purring. "You guys are _so_ domesticated."

Tadashi plodded on forward, peeking out from the corner where the weird speedy things were zooming about.

"Those are cars. Don't go near them or they could hurt you like they did with your parents," Hiro said flicking his tail at the speeding boxes. He sounded distressed.

"I used to ride in one," Tadashi sounded wistful. "It was fun, especially when I stuck my head outside."

Hiro rolled his eyes. "Dogs," he muttered. He sat up when he noticed their destination. "Ooh, you're taking us to the park!"

"There are usually families there on the weekends for picnics. They give out food if you beg cute enough."

"You have _no_ dignity." Hiro yelped when Tadashi shook his head, sending Hiro tumbling off his head and down his neck.

Tadashi rumbled in amusement, but Hiro got his revenge later in the park when he found a stick and sent Tadashi fetching after it.

"Nerd!" Hiro had rolled over on his side lazily. He sprawled out into the grass, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine. "You're the nerdiest dog in the world. You like chasing sticks and begging and taking walks. Nerd, nerd, nerd~"

Tadashi came back, dropping the stick and curling up around Hiro. He nuzzled the cat's head, snorting into his fur. Hiro responded by licking his nose with his rough tongue.

"Bad dog," Hiro said. He yawned, his paws stretching out.

Tadashi laughed. Hiro was so unbelievable.

* * *

Sometimes it was hard. There was one time that it go so cold that Hiro had almost frozen to death. Terrified, Tadashi had snuck inside the basement of one house. They'd stayed there all winter as Hiro regained his strength, until spring came again and they were forced to move on before the owners could discover them.

Another time, Tadashi made a mistake and he was caught by _animal control_ (as Hiro had whispered in terrified tones). He was trapped inside a small cage with many other scared smelling dogs and cats, but he quietly analyzed his situation and waited for a chance to escape.

It turned out he didn't have to because Hiro had done it for him. Hiro had rode along in the van, following after the humans in silence. When nobody was looking, he undid the latch and he and Tadashi slipped away quietly. Hiro hadn't spoken to him throughout the whole ordeal, but that night, he pressed himself against Tadashi so tightly that it felt like he melted through his skin.

"I'm not gonna wait for you," Hiro said and that was that.

Life continued. Tadashi was sad and happy at once to watch Hiro grow from the small fluff-ball of a kitten to a sleek, agile cat. He was definitely bigger than his paw now.

Hiro was delighted with his change and at the fact that he could now reach the bottom of Tadashi's snout without having to stand up. Although it meant his perch on top of his head had to be sacrificed.

Along with his growth in size, Hiro's penchant for trouble also grew. Somehow he kept getting into various fights with different cats _and_ dogs _and _birds! Tadashi lost count for how many times he had to go and fetch him out.

But for all of Hiro's fierceness, he was surprisingly shy when it came to meeting new people.

"Look Hiro. This is where Honey Lemon works. She's very kind and gives out good treats." Tadashi sat down at the back entrance of the clothes shop, waiting for the woman to come out. Hiro hid behind him and the wall. He soon discovered why Tadashi called the woman that though – she had the scent of fresh honey and lemon.

"Either she's really yellow or that's just my color-blindness talking," Hiro muttered, and quickly dived behind Tadashi again when the human reached into her pocket and pulled out a biscuit.

"There you are!" Honey Lemon grinned as she knelt down, hand out. Tadashi took the treat, whining in bliss. He nudged his head into her hand in thanks, asking for scratches. The woman complied, scratching behind his ears and Tadashi practically melted.

Hiro jealously peeked out and was noticed. The woman's eyes lit up in utter delight.

"Oh, did you bring a new friend?" Honey Lemon reached into her jacket and pulled out a bag of something delicious smelling. "Here kitty kitty…"

Hiro cautiously walked out, sniffing the treat in wariness. He quickly snatched it out and retreated back behind Tadashi, chowing it down. He relaxed when nothing happened and came back out.

"You're alright for a human," he purred. "More?"

Honey Lemon grinned, putting a handful of treats out on the ground. Tadashi watched him, pleased. The woman cooed, petting them both as Hiro shuddered in bliss. He purred louder, meowing his thanks.

"Your girlfriend is so cute," she told Tadashi. The German shepherd merely wagged his tail, oblivious. Honey Lemon sighed when there was a shout from inside the store. "I have to go now. Come back tomorrow!"

Hiro finished up the treats, licking his lips. "We should come back tomorrow," he said seriously when the human left. He flicked his tail and rubbed around Tadashi's legs and under his chin.

Tadashi huffed and picked him up by the scruff of his neck. Silly cat. "We're going home now," he mumbled around his grip. "Or Honey Lemon is going to be in trouble."

"Aw man!"

Tadashi's ears twitched in amusement. He was happy. He was really happy he found Hiro that night. He couldn't imagine what life would be like without him and he never ever wanted to go back to being alone again, wandering aimlessly in the streets and alleys and howling the occasional song.

"Let goo," Hiro mewled, twisting around. Tadashi relaxed his jaw and he fell with a thump. "Ow! Nerd!" Tadashi sloppily licked the back of his neck up to his head, making the fur stand up. Hiro made a noise of disgust, rubbing it out on the ground. He glared up and hissed.

Tadashi nudged him up. "I love you," he said and Hiro's ears flattened in embarrassment. He scrambled ahead, tail waving.

"I know," he grumbled. "Now come on before animal control catches us!"

* * *

Maybe such happiness wasn't meant to last long.

One day, Tadashi woke Hiro up.

"I'm going to find some food," he told him. Hiro blearily opened his eyes and snorted, rolling back over.

"Kaay," he mumbled. "Come back soon."

He heard Tadashi shuffle out and fell back asleep. The next time he woke up, he was surprised because the dog had not woken him up.

"Tadashi?" he yawned. He looked around the empty building, his tail flicking in agitation. The dog usually didn't take this long to find food.

So he waited.

* * *

Tadashi didn't come back.


	2. Chapter 2

**(2/2)  
**

* * *

A cat's soul is made of the wind. That is why they cannot be tied down because the wind cannot be contained by anything. And so they go as they please, letting their wanderlust guide them to wherever the sky calls. The epitome of freedom and independence.

That is what Hiro's mother told him, before Hiro became 'Hiro' and was simply a nameless kitten.

But there is not the wind, but a whole universe inside of him. When he first opened his eyes, the she-cat who had mothered him had flinched away because it was not the sky reflected in those amber irises.

"What is my name?" he had asked her. His first words.

"We are cats," she replied. "We do not carry names." She scoffed then, turning her head at his curious little frown. "Names are for domesticated breeds. The _weak_. But we're different. Do you understand?"

No, no. He did not understand. Hiro mewled out more questions and the universe inside him was ever expanding.

He was terrifying for such a small thing.

"Good luck," the she-cat said.

What hurt the most was that she did not even look back.

* * *

What she failed to realize was that cats were also made of bone, flesh, and blood. Fragile hearts encased in thin ribs, it beats just like any other living thing. _Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

* * *

So the kitten wiped away his tears and walked away. _I don't need anyone_, he told himself. No more waiting. No more crying.

Then Tadashi found him and Hiro forgot that promises were just words on air, easily blown away by a single breeze. Who'd have thought he'd come to love a dog?

"I will never leave you," Tadashi had said. Loving, kind, and gentle. Always, even when he was yelling at him after rescuing him from another food battle with the other strays.

Knucklehead, cats are supposed to be smart, what were you thinking!

_I will never leave you, I will never leave you, I will never leave you_.

Day three of the Disappearance and Hiro had to face the truth.

"Tadashi, you liar," he cried. "You _liar!_ I _**hate**_ you, you stupid dog!"

_Alone_ was thick around him. Burning in the back of his eyes, choking him in its intensity. Alone had never hurt him so much before. But now it was clogging him up, twisting his heart into something so painful that he just wanted to die. Anything was better than this cloying existence.

Hiro curled up on the thin ragged blanket that had served as his and Tadashi's bed, trying to breathe in more of the scent. That was all the energy he had, really. He couldn't even open his eyes.

What was even the point.

Why did Tadashi go? Where was he? He didn't know what to do. He buried his face deeper into the blanket, trying not to lose the dog's scent.

"I hate you," he said again, quietly this time. But that was a lie too.

* * *

Day one of the Disappearance, Hiro had waited. Day two, he went looking. Everywhere - the park, the alleyways, Honey Lemon's shop, even stopping by the pound where Tadashi had almost gone too. Then he went back and waited. And waited.

Perhaps Hiro should have done what his mother had said. _Become the wind_, she had tried to teach him. Blow away elsewhere, nameless. We are sky and moon and shadows. We are freedom, we are air! ('_Good luck_' echoes in his head still, the sight of Mother turning away). Ah, but she had never told him that even cats could fall in love. She never told him that it could hurt so bad.

Cats cannot be the wind. Cats are cats and wind is wind. Two fundamentally different things.

Tadashi, Tadashi.

Come back.

_I miss you._

* * *

"There, there."

Hiro jolted awake and yowled, scrambling up. He stared, wide-eyed, at the thing that had woken him up.

The fattest bird he'd ever seen in his life stared back, one snow-white wing furling back to its side. The bird blinked and bobbed its head.

"Hello. I am Baymax."

"Um," Hiro said. "What?" He took a step back, uncertain of what to do. He'd never really gotten over his fear of birds after Tadashi's paranoid warnings. "A mourning dove? You… you're quite fat." The words slipped out of him before he could stop them and he shut up, mortified.

(Still, he'd never seen a mourning dove of that color or size before. It was… strange).

The bird - Baymax - didn't seem very offended. "I am of huggable design," he merely stated. He stepped closer, making a strange cooing noise. "You seem hungry," he added. "I brought you some food." Hiro stared at the ground between them.

"Those are seeds," he said flatly. Baymax tilted his head. "I am a _carnivore_!"

"That is unfortunate," Baymax replied. "I am a vegetarian."

"I - that's - _obviously - _," Hiro shook his head, aggravated. "Okay, back up here. Why are you here and what do you want?"

"I was flying by and landed on that sill to rest." Baymax gestured to the broken up window that was just above Hiro's sleeping area. "I saw you lying here and felt some concern." He tilted his head.

As if on cue, Hiro's stomach growled. Loudly.

Baymax stared at him with those unnerving beady eyes.

Hiro hissed, his tail lashing and ears flattening on his head. "I eat things like you for breakfast!" he snapped. _Go away, leave me alone._ Baymax did not even flinch and Hiro was left stumped on his next course of action.

(He tried eating a bird once. A little sparrow that was not very intimidating. He didn't particularly like the taste of feathers and promptly spat it out, letting the indignant squawking creature fly away).

Hiro's stomach growled again.

Baymax said, "There is a place of fish not too far away." Hiro snorted and curled back up, turning away from the bird.

"I don't care. Get out."

"You do not like fish?"

"Oh for -" Hiro sat back up, turning around to glare at the bird. "Can't you take a hint?!" Baymax plopped down, nudging the seeds forward. The cat slumped in defeat. "Okay fine! Take me to the fish; I'm not gonna eat _bird food._" He got up and stretched. How long had he been lying here? Scowling, he walked out of the building, Baymax waddling after him. "Hurry up, you weirdo!"

"I am not fast," Baymax responded, but he flew up and perched on top of Hiro's head, causing the cat to yelp and stumble.

"_Unbelievable!_"

* * *

Baymax was officially the strangest bird that Hiro had ever met. Not that he talked to a lot of them, besides the times when he was squabbling with the crows over food scraps. Baymax just wouldn't go away. But he was a great listener and he let Hiro curl up into his side, just under his wing. Alone was still bitter and hanging over him, but maybe it was a little better now because he had Baymax. Even if he could not remember the last time he had purred.

Tadashi was still gone and Hiro still didn't know where he went. He didn't let himself wait though; he'd break if there were any more disappointments. So he left the building and took to wandering the streets - and it was good because Baymax could _fly_ and be able to signal to him if there were any trouble or where to find food. It was a rather odd friendship, but Hiro liked him anyways even if a rather large part of him still ached and cried for the warmth of a larger body and kind eyes that never let him down.

Life went on. And life changed once again.

It was maybe a month later and Hiro was sunbathing on the roof of a car, Baymax perched on his back, snoozing. They were both rudely interrupted when human hands suddenly grabbed Hiro. Baymax fluttered off to the side. "Oh no," he said. "Hiro?"

Hiro yowled, scratching at the hands. "_You'll never take me alive!_" he hissed, already fearing the pound. However, it was not a human in those dreaded animal control uniforms that filled his vision, but a scowling young woman wearing dark clothing and cursing viciously.

"Ow! Damn cat, _settle down_ \- fuck!" She held the struggling Hiro in one hand as she used the other to reach into her pocket and pull out a mobile, pressing it tightly to her ear. "This is the last time I'm doing this, Honey! You hear me?!" There was a pause as someone replied. The woman looked annoyed. "Do you know how many stray black cats there are in San Fransokyo?!" She gave a smug grin. "Well, I definitely got the _one_ this time. This one had a bird sitting on him! That has to mean something, right?" There was another pause. "We'll see. If Tadashi looks at us crazy again, I'm done. Yes, I know I said that the last cat we brought him."

Hiro stopped all struggling, eyes wide. The woman noticed because she grinned at him, stuffing her phone back into her pocket. "Did you say what I think you said?" he mewled. Excitement blossomed in his chest before he could stop it. "Baymax? She just said Tadashi's name!"

"Perhaps she knows him?" Baymax landed on the woman's shoulders. She glanced at him, wide-eyed. Then she just shrugged and kept walking to another vehicle as she stroked Hiro's head.

There was a dark skinned man sitting behind the wheel. "GoGo, there is a bird on your shoulder," he said. "Do you know how unsanitary that is?"

"Relax, you big baby." GoGo smirked as she climbed in, placing Hiro on her lap. "I don't think we need a cage for this one. This is Tadashi's cat, I just _know_ it."

The man cringed, looking ill. "My poor car," he muttered under his breath.

GoGo rolled her eyes. "Drive, Wasabi!"

"Aye-aye, ma'am."

Baymax hopped onto GoGo's lap, cooing over Hiro's sudden silence. "Hiro, are you alright?"

Hiro shook his head. He was too afraid to hope. Baymax seemed to understand because he let out one of his comfort songs, a soft little trill.

* * *

"Awesome, you found another cat!" Another young man, called Fred by the others, looked immensely relieved. But it was the woman standing next to him that had Hiro meowing loudly. Honey Lemon who took one look at him and squealed.

"YES! GoGo, you did it, this is the one!" She scooped him up, gently. "Oh kitty, we've been looking for you all over the place." She took a glance at Baymax and raised an eyebrow. "You weren't kidding…"

GoGo popped her gum. "Yup. Now let's go in the cafe before the dog tries to escape again."

Once they entered the small building, Hiro instantly perked up. Was it really…

He leapt out of Honey Lemon's arms, Baymax flying after him, and bounded up the stairs. "Tadashi!" he cried out.

There was a small noise. Lying beneath a window was the familiar sight of his beloved dog wearing a ridiculous cone around his neck. The German shepherd blinked sleepily, raising his head. "Hiro…?" he mumbled in a disbelieving tone.

Hiro wailed and dived right into his side. "You left me! _You left me_! Liar, liar, liar! Stupid dog! Bad dog!" Each word was punctuated with him rubbing his head almost violently into Tadashi's stomach.

Tadashi, on his account, looked completely astonished. He tried turning his head, but the cone prevented him from fully turning. "Oh my biscuits. Is that really you, Hiro?" A low whine erupted from his mouth. "Oh Hiro, I missed you so much." He tried turning again to nuzzle Hiro but the cone bonked the cat in the head instead, causing him to screech.

"You don't get to say that to me! I hate you! Quit moving!" Hiro maneuvered himself around to Tadashi's head where he reached up to lick at his silky ears. He gave a watery sniff and pressed his forehead against Tadashi's, having noticed something vital - or the lack thereof. "You're missing a leg," he choked out.

Tadashi glanced down at the stump of where his front right leg used to be. "Oh yeah," he said. "Well, I see you've gained a bird." He was referring to Baymax who had perched on a nearby chair, watching them both with some bemusement.

"I am Baymax," the dove said. He ruffled his feathers and settled in place. "Carry on."

Tadashi blinked and turned his attention back to the cat who was still crying. He whined again against Hiro's head. "I'm so sorry," he breathed out. "Hiro, I am so so sorry. Please don't hate me."

Hiro bit him. "Shut up. I was lying, you stupid nerd." He stepped back, eyes wide with concern. "Why are you so hurt? What happened?"

"Boy, do I have a lot to tell you," Tadashi responded with some relief. "But later. C'mere." Hiro complied, nuzzling at his face again. It was hard. The cone was in the way.

"I missed you too," he said in a small voice. "I thought you were dead. Or worse."

A rumble went through Tadashi's chest. "Well, I came pretty close." He closed his eyes, tail wagging hard.

"Good thing you have me. Did you know a cat's purrs speeds up the healing process?"

"No I did not. Silly cat."

Hiro mewled out a protest and stepped away so he could curl up against the dog's side instead. "Don't do this again."

"Did you wait for me?" Tadashi asked. He became miserable when Hiro had moved out of sight and he tried to pull the cone off.

"No," Hiro lied and purred contently, listening with amusement to the sound of the dog's struggles.

They barely noticed the humans coming up the stairs and they didn't even flinch at the flash of Honey Lemon's camera. ("Oh no," Cass Hamada sighed later when she found them. "This is going to make the custody battle so much worse." It didn't stop her from printing the photo out and framing it later, though).

* * *

"You know, I really love you," Hiro said. Tadashi wagged his tail even harder.

"That's the first time you said that out-loud." The dog sounded utterly delighted. "You are so cute, Hiro. I love you too."

* * *

Mother had it wrong. There was a freedom in this kind of love as well, in this world that Hiro had created. It did not belong to just the wind and skies, but the warmth of a hearth and the happiness that came from having people to listen to his purrs.

A cat is made to purr, after all.

_End._

* * *

So what happened to Tadashi anyways? (transcribed from my tumblr, haha):

Well, when he was coming back, he found a burning building with a girl still inside. Being a stupidselfless hero that he is, Tadashi went in, found the girl and rescued her. Unfortunately he suffered great injuries. However, the girl and her father who turned out to be the great Dr. Callaghan were very grateful so they paid for his surgery and it turned out that he was microchipped! However, the owners had died from a car accident and the closest relative was Cass Hamada who owned the Lucky Cat Cafe.

She was happy enough to take him in but Tadashi had become famous! Everyone knows of the hero dog who had saved Abigail Callaghan! So distant relatives were showing up, trying to claim custody over the dog. (prestige, you know) Meanwhile, Tadashi is still feeling pretty woozy from the pain killers and recovering from the missing leg.

BUT THEN, regular customer, Honey Lemon, recognized Tadashi and realized he was missing his 'girlfriend'. So she calls up her friend to go look for the cat. Good thing to because once Tadashi became conscious enough to notice that Hiro wasn't there, he kept trying to run off to find him. Honey Lemon's friends also kept finding random black cats and bringing them to the cafe, much to Tadashi's great confusion.

(Fred adopted them all by the way).

But they finally find Hiro and with the help of Callaghan and Abigail (who is unfortunately allergic to dogs or they would have adopted Tadashi themselves), Cass finally gained custody over Tadashi, adopts Hiro, and also adopts Baymax who likes to fly off every once in a while but he comes back.

And that's it. Also, I was trying to translate Hiro's genius into a cat one with the whole 'universe' thing so that may have been confusing.


End file.
